Bill
Carlton got his start in racing at the old Belfast Raceway in
1948. But it wasn’t until he arrived at Unity Raceway in 1951
that he began to cultivate his racing talent.
During the 1950’s at Unity, Bill would race anything with
wheels and compete in as many races as he could, including the
popular ramp races.
It was during this time when his name changed from Bill to
‘Wild Bill’. He says ‘Wild Bill’ came from his many
rollovers and continuing in the race once track workers righted
the car. But, for those who saw him race, the ‘Wild Bill’
moniker was from his "all out" driving style, which
frequently resulted in a race win.
With the 1960’s came modified racing at Unity. In 1961, he
won the prestigious Governor’s Trophy race, a 50-lap event for
the modifieds.
When Unity Raceway became an asphalt track in 1963, ‘Wild
Bill’ showed he was equally adept on pavement as he was on
dirt. During the first three years the track was asphalt, Bill
won one track championship and finished second in points in the
other two seasons.
During a twenty-plus year driving career, ‘Wild Bill’ won
well over one hundred races and was a fan favorite wherever he
raced.
